Embalming stopper



D. H. STRICKLAND 2,942,323

EMBALMING STOPPER Filed March 10, 1959 June 28, 1960 firmin .Oam'e/ fr/cl/dna zy WW! w United States Patent 2,942,323 EMBALMING STOPPER Daniel H. Strickland, Chicago, 111., assignor to Moser Paper Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 10, 1959, set. No. 798,432

2 Claims. (CI. 27-21 This invention relates to a trocar button for use in stopping an opening made in the body for embalming purposes, and more particularly to a trocar button having means affording easy removal or insertion thereof.

In accepted embalming procedure, an aperture is made in the abdominal wall of the body by means of a trocar, or hollow embalming needle. The trocar is inserted slightly above the navel and through it, liquids and gases are aspirated from the thorax and abdominal cavities and embalming fluid is then injected into these cavities. Thereupon, the aperture must'be sealed thoroughly. However, after a lapse of approximately 24, hours, the aperture must be reopened to release the accumulated gases and permit the introduction of more embalming fluid.

The present invention provides a trocar button which may be readily inserted or removed after the aforementioned embalming operation. In accordance with the invention, the button is desirably made of a plastic material and has a substantially conical configuration. The base or head of the cone thus provided is widened somewhat to provide a flange adapted to overlie the skin around the aperture and the body portion of the cone therebelow is formed with a helical thread tapering to a point. The head portion defines a transverse cut or recess into which may be inserted a coin or other object for rotating the button during insertion or removal there of. On each side of the transverse recess or slit thus formed are positioned upstanding hearings or prongs which may receive therebetween a pencil or the like to afford a low level but none-the-less powerful means of rotating the button into and out of position. Thus the prongs do not extend above the base of the button a distance such as to create an unsightly appearance or to serve as a hazard in the event some object inadvertently contacts them,.but only to the extent required to afford a means of applying torque to the button in cooperation with pencil or the like..

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention,

to provide a trocar buttonwhich may be readily inserted or removed by means of bearing prongs on the base portion thereof which coact with a conical threaded configuration of the button to eifect an easy rotational positioning of the button in the aperture formed by a trocar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trocar button as described having a diametrically extending recess formed therein between the said upstanding prongs and which is suited to receive an object such as a coin or the like for selectively rotating the trocar button.

Other objects and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description proceeds in accordance with the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a trocar button according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the button shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partially in vertical section, as taken along the line III-Ill of Figure 1; and

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Figure 4 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional vie taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the button 10 is desirably formed of a suitable plastic such as polyethylene, polystyrene or the like, and comprises a base or head portion 12 and a body portion 14. The body portion 14 is of a generally conical configuration and defines a helical thread 16 therearound extending from the head 12 downwardly to a tapered point 18. The head 12 is somewhat wider than the body portion 14, and therefore defines an annular flange 20 therearound adapted to engage with the skin after insertion of the button.

The upper surface of the head 12 defines a groove 22 which extends through the center of the base in a diametricalalignment and is preferably rounded toward the bottom thereof, downwardly from its end 21 and 23, in a radius of curvature which approximates that of a coin which may be inserted therein to apply torque, such as a penny or dime, and it will alsobe understood that a screwdriver may be inserted therein.

On each side of the recess 22 are formed integral upstanding bosses or prongs 24 and 26 which extend, for

example, to a height of approximately of an inch above the head 12, and are low enough so that they do not create an unsightly appearance while nevertheless affording a powerful rotating action. These prongs 24 and 26 desirably have smooth, fiat upper surfaces 28 and 30 having rounded edge portions, and also define rounded inner bearing surfaces 32 and 34. The inner surfaces 32 and 34 are spaced apart a distance such as to receive a pencil or other such object therebetween in bearing engagement therewith and thereby afford rotation of the button by means of the pencil, for insertion or removal of the button. It will also be appreciated that these prongs could, alternatively, be grasped manually to apply torque for moving the button into or out of engagement with the body.

The trocar button is preferably of a usual size, as for example the head may be approximately of an inch in diameter and the body of an inch where it joins the head and the total axial length of the button may be of an inch from the top surface 36 of the head to the point 18.

In use, the button '10 may be inserted into the body 7 opening formed by the trocar, and after it has been rotated by a pencil or like object placed transversely between the prongs 24 and 26, it will engage the skin in thegrooved portion of the threads and retain it securely after the button has beenrotated until the flange portion thereof abuts the body. Even after the skin has become toughened, the device may be readily removed, particularly since a desirable degree of torque is provided by the upstanding prongs.

There has thus been provided an embalming stopper which can be selectively inserted or retracted either by manually grasping the prongs thereon or by rotating an object such'as a pencil placed between the prongs. Because the torque is applied at the level of the button head, proper alignment is easily maintained and very little effort is needed to accomplish the few turns required; and an exact fit is provided when the button is in position which affords a leak-proof seal having no stitches or rough surfaces.

Although I have herein set forth and described my invention with respect to certain specific principles and details, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in these hereunto appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A trocar button for use in embalrning and closing the aperture which is formed by a trocar in the skin of a Patented June as, 1 960 corpse, comprising a screw threaded body portion, a flat surfaced base of relatively wider diameter than said body portion defining a peripheral flange extending outwardly of said base and a pair of bosses formed integrally on'said base in diametrical alignment therewith and elongated along the diameter on which they are formed, said bosses having rounded inner bearing surfaces formed axially with the screw threaded body portion and spaced apart sufficiently to receive therebetween an instrument such as a pencil or the like for applying a low level powerful torque to said trocar button, the elongation of said bosses being sufiicient also to afford reinforcement against such torque and selective manual grasping of said bosses and rotation of said button, said bosses having smooth flat upper surfaces spaced from the flat surface of said base only by a distancesuch'as 'to afford a firm engagement between the instrument and the bosses, and having rounded edges cooperating with the smooth flat surfaces of said bosses to prevent catching or tearing of articles of clothing or the like on said bosses, said bosses having smoothly rounded outer ends terminating in proximate relationship to the periphery of said flange and within the periphery of said flange, the sides of said bosses between said rounded inner and outer portion thereof being substantially perpendicular to said base and flattened to facilitate said manual grasping of said bosses for rotating said button.

2. A trocar button for use in embalming and closing the aperture which is formed by a trocar in the skin of a corpse, comprising a screw threaded body portion and a base of relatively wider diameter than said body portion,

a pair of diametrically aligned bosses extending upwardly in perpendicular relation to said base and spaced apart a distance suflicient to receive therebetween an instrument such as a pencil or the like for torque-producing engagement with said bosses, the upper surfaces of said bosses terminating a distance from said base only such as to afford said torque-producing engagement with said instrument, and a groove formed in said base along a diameter perpendicular to the diameter on which said bosses are formed, and centrally between said bosses, said groove being spaced from said bosses a distance such as to permit ready insertion of an article such as a coin, screwdriver or the like in said groove without interference from said bosses'in the application of torque to said article, the relativelysmall distanceby' which the upper surfaces of said bosses are spaced from said base also afiording ease of grasping of the article whereby the button may be rotated into or out of closing position without difficulty.

References Cited in the file of this patent .UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,261,916 Forbes Apr. 9, 1918 2,437,381 Cullen Mar. 9, 1945 2,553,813 Dobrick May 22, 1951 2,808,087 Vaughn Oct. 1, 1957 2,850,788 Rypysc Sept. 9, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,701 France -Q Dec. 11, 1906 (1st addition to 366,215.) 

